Railroad-tie and fastening



(No Model.)

, W. R. MCDOWELL.

RAILROAD TIE AND FASTENING.

Patented July 13,1897.

UNITED, STATES PATENT @rrlcn.

\VILLIAM R. MCDOWELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-TIE AND FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,103, dated July 13,1897.

Application filed May 29, 1896. Serial No. 593,579. (N0 model.)

To ctZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM R. MCDOW- ELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRailroad-Ties and Fastenings, which improvement is fully set forth inthe following specification and acand arranged as hereinafter describedand claimed.

Figure 1 represents a side view of a railroad-tie and fasteningembodying my inven tion. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent perspective viewsof different portions thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a cross-tie formed of metal, theend portions of the same being elevated, forming the beds B. Inthe upperfaces of said beds are transversely-extending recesses O C, which are sodisposed that they occupy positions on opposite sides of the base of therailroad-rail which is rested on said beds, it being noticed that saidrecesses are open at top, the

openings being narrower than the transverse diameters of said recesses.

D designates cheek-pieces which are adapted to rest partly on the baseof the rail and partly on the beds B. Depending from the under side ofsaid cheek-pieces are longitudinally-extending tongues E,which areadapted to enter the recesses or grooves O in the beds B, it beingnoticed that said grooves are set in from the outer edges of thecheekpicces and that the portions of said tongues where they join thecheek pieces form the necks F, the inner walls of which are vertical,said necks occupying openings of the recesses or grooves 0, whereby thecheek-pieces are interlocked with the beds B and prevented from risingas well as shifting laterally, by which provision the cheek-piecesfirmly clamp the rail and retain the same rigidly in position, it beingalso noticed that the tendency of the cheek-pieces to turn in therecesses or grooves O is prevented by the abutment of the outer portionG of the cheek-pieces on the top of the bed, which portions projectlaterally from the necks F, while constituting the outer ends proper ofthe cheek-pieces. Each cheek-piece thus consists of upper and lowerportions, the upper portion resting on one side of the base of the rail,while the lower portion rests on the top of the tie. The sides of thebase of the rail enter the grooves existing at the inner sides of thenecks F of the tongues E. By these provisions there are no open jointsbetween the various parts, while the lower portions of the cheek-piecesprevent any rising of the said pieces, while acting as sheds ordeflectors for directing water from the recesses O, the effect of whichis evident.

WVhen it is desired to displace the cheekpieces, it is necessary toslide or move the same in a direction parallel with the rail, wherebythe tongues E leave the grooves or recesses O, and thus the cheek-piecesare disconnected from the rail and tie, it being evident that when theparts are restored to their operative position the outer portions of thecheek-pieces outwardly overlap or overhang the walls of the recesses orgrooves C, while the inner portions thereof inwardly overlap or overhangsaid wall, and as said outer portions abut against or rest upon the topof the ties outward from said grooves, as has been stated, they formstops, whereby the tongues are prevented from turning in the recessesand the cheek-pieces thus remain flat and immovable on the ties and baseof the rail, securely holding the latter.

In Fig. 3 I show a fish-plate H, formed or connected with thecheek-pieces D, and in Fig. 4 I show the brace or support J, a portionof which rests against the side of the bed and rail and the otherportion beneath the head thereof, thus firmly supporting an d holdingthe rail, while the cheek-pieces clamp the rail to the tie that holdsthe same in a firm and durable manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railroad-tie and fastening, a tie having atransversely-extending recess having a narrow opening at top and acheek-piece having a tongue on its under side between the ends of saidpiece adapted to fill said recess, the outer portion of said pieceoutwardly overhanging the wall of said recess, and the inner portion ofsaid piece inwardly overhanging said wall.

2. A cheek-piece having a tongue on its under side with a narrowconnecting-neck, the outer portion of said piece being adapted to reston a tie in which said tongue is inserted, and the inner portion of thepiece being adapted to rest on the base of a rail seated on said tie,said outer portion being adapted to outwardly overhang the wall of therecess in which said tongue is inserted, said neck having on one sideavertical wall.

3. A tie having a recess therein, and a cheek-piece having a dependingtongue, and neck joining said tongue with said piece, said neck having avertical wall on side thereof the sides of said neck being adapted toreceive the side of the base of the rail and the upper ends of the wallof said recess, the outer portion of said cheek-piece outwardlyoverhanging said wall and the inner portion thereof inwardly overhangingsaid wall, the said tongue being adapted to be inserted transversely inthe recess in said tie and to fill the same.

WILLIAM R. llilCDOlVELL.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERsHEIM, R. H. GRAESEE.

